Our Picks This Month

Shrubs & Color:

This month, we're scooping up perennials and California native plants by the dozen, taking advantage of our "second spring" to get them in the ground! This is also the best time to plant trees, so stop by the nursery and pick out the shade tree of your dreams...

Encore Azalea
(Rhododendron Encore Series)

Originally developed in the 1980s, Encore Azaleas are the most sun-tolerant of Azaleas, re-blooming in the late summer and fall. Encores are hybrids of Kurume and Southern Indica parents, and all cultivar names begin with the word "Autumn."

'Autumn Bonfire' - A fast-growing dwarf azalea; glows with true red, semi-double and single blooms in spring, summer and fall; holds its bright green foliage year-round.

'Autumn Coral' - Large, single, coral-pink flowers from spring through fall; attracts butterflies; works well in containers or as a hedge; makes a lovely accent plant.

'Autumn Royalty' - Won "Azalea of the Year" from the American Rhododendron Society; four-inch pink to purple blooms in spring, continuing into fall; broadleaf evergreen provides four seasons of color.

Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii)

Forget roses - stop and smell the Buddleias! According to the University of California, October is an ideal month to plant Butterfly Bush. The days and nights are mild, reducing the risk of transplant shock and giving roots time to dig in before cold, rainy weather arrives. Stop by the nursery and smell the Buddleias today!

Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens)

This low-maintenance shrub is Texas-tough! In native habitats, Texas Sage helps stabilize the desert soil and shelter wild birds and animals. It does great in our area too, tolerating everything from summer heat and drought to poor soil and curious deer. Add in its silvery leaves and profuse lavender flowers, and you have yourself a winner!

Edibles:

Cool-season veggies are here, and now is the perfect time to plant them! In addition to the workhorse winter garden plants, consider something new and fun. Here are a few plants that add a different kind of "flavor"...

Yerba Buena

This aromatic herb was once so common in the Bay Area that San Francisco was originally named Yerba Buena, and local native tribes regarded it as a powerful medicinal plant. In the garden, its shade- and drought-tolerance, trailing habit, and non-invasive nature make it a winner. Grow Yerba Buena in a pot or plant it as a groundcover, and give a nod to native wisdom by making your own soothing tea from its fragrant leaves!

Tricolor Sage

This beautiful herb may be ornamental, but it's a star in the kitchen, too! In the garden, show off Tricolor's standout colors and gorgeous marbling in mixed borders or containers. In the kitchen, go for optimal flavor by cooking it in a fat - like butter, olive oil, or bacon. For an interesting culinary twist, pan-fry fresh Tricolor sage leaves until crispy, then use as a garnish for pastas or seasonal risotto.

Salad Greens

The season of packaged supermarket salad mixes is over! With the cooling temperatures, our salad greens selection is currently at its best. Stop by the nursery to consider your options, starting with these:

Mâche - Long popular in French kitchen gardens, mâche's mild flavor and "nutty" taste have finally taken root in American gardens as well. Easy to grow, even easier to eat!

Arugula - A little spicy, a little bitter, thoroughly nutritious and delicious, arugula is the backbone of the cool-weather salad garden.

Vitamin Green - Though mainly popular as a braising green, this nutritional powerhouse packs a punch in the salad bowl as well! Use the leaves while young for optimal tenderness.

Houseplants:

As the temperatures continue to drop, turn your focus indoors, and inject some green into your winter space! Here are a couple of new soldiers to enlist in your houseplant army...

Tillandsia

Add a fun, whimsical touch to the indoor garden, both with air plants and the fun accessories made to show them off.

Sensitive Plant

Introduce your kids to the wonderful world of plants with this fun, unusual houseplant! The airy leaflets open up in daytime, then collapse on themselves when touched. A sun-lover, this is the perfect plant for a bright windowsill.

PLANTING PROJECT: Fall Bulbs

As of this writing, the weather is still mild, and it's easy to take flowers for granted. Fast forward a few months to the end of winter, though, and your feelings will likely have changed. This fall, give your future self the gift of early spring color with a garden full of bulbs!

SUPPLIES

Spring-blooming bulbs
Bulb-planting tool
Bulb-Tone Espoma fertilizer
G&B Organics Planting Mix
Rodent cages (optional)
Mulch

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Select a site. Bulbs will need at least part sun throughout the spring. They look great planted en mass—in a grove, near the mailbox, as swaths of colors in garden beds, and as colorful borders.

2. Prepare the soil. Bulbs need well-draining soil or they will rot. Work a few inches of G&B Planting Mix into your existing soil to improve drainage, especially if you have the heavy clay soil common in our area.

4. Dig! In general, dig holes at a depth of three times the width of the bulb (for a detailed chart, consult the Planting Guide for Fall Bulbs, available on yamagamis.com). A bulb-planting tool is handy for smaller plantings. Add 1 tablespoon Espoma Bulb-tone fertilizer to the bottom of each hole.

5. Plant! Place bulb in hole on top of bulb food. Mix your soil (removed from hole) half and half with Gardner & Bloome Bulb Planting Mix. Cover bulb with the soil you have mixed and water thoroughly.

6. Mulch! Apply mulch to the planting area to keep the weeds down and hold in moisture.

CARE:

Water

• After the initial watering-in, only water again when the soil is barely moist 2" deep.

Other

• Do you have critter troubles? Consider planting your bulbs in a "cage" fashioned with chicken wire.

Product We Love: Bonide Crabgrass & Weed Preventer

Don't just kill weeds: prevent them in the first place with Bonide Crabgrass & Weed Preventer!

Crabgrass & Weed Preventer is a type of herbicide known as a "preemergent". When applied prior to weed seeds' germination, preemergents provide a chemical barrier that prevents cell division, effectively stopping weed growth at the germination stage.

Chickweed, clover, poa annua (annual bluegrass), and filaree are all weeds that germinate in the fall and winter, emerging from the lawn in early spring. These weeds can be difficult to kill once they have emerged, making preventative measures your best bet for control. Properly timed, a fall application of Crabgrass & Weed Preventer helps control existing weeds and crabgrass, and inhibit further emergence of crabgrass seedlings.

If you choose to apply Bonide Crabgrass & Weed Preventer now, plan for a second application again in the spring. You'll also need to postpone reseeding, overseeding, or sprigging your lawn for at least 12 weeks after application.

This season, stop weeds in their tracks. Set aside the Scott's, and reach for Bonide instead!

Order Your Bareroot Orchard Now!

We are now taking special orders for bareroot fruit trees, arriving in spring. Stop by the nursery for a Special Order Fruit Tree (SOFT) order packet, and make sure you get the backyard orchard you've always wanted! Order cutoff date is October 27th.

It's Pumpkin Season, Charlie Brown!

Our pumpkin patch is ready for its close-up! Take a page out of Charlie Brown's book and visit us to look for your very own Great Pumpkin - we're positive ours is the sincerest patch in town...

Order A Holly Jolly Christmas Tree!

This year, get your best Christmas tree ever from Yamagami's Garden Center! Pre-order by November 10, and we'll give you 10% off the purchase price of your tree. Noble and Douglas firs will both be available, so you can deck your halls in style!

Featured Recipe: Skillet Chicken with Grapes and Caramelized Onions

Did you know California grows 99% of commercially-produced fresh table grapes? Celebrate the local harvest with this elegant and delicious dish. It's easy enough for weeknight eating, stylish enough to cook for company. Make your next dinner a special occasion!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 2 lbs. chicken thighs with skin (4-5)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3/4 cup DRINKABLE dry red wine
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups red California grapes
• Parsley for topping

Equipment
Cast iron or ovenproof skillet

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat the butter over medium low heat in a heavy ovenproof skillet. Add the onions cook for 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
3. When the onions are a deep golden color, remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Combine the flour, salt, chili powder, thyme, allspice, and black pepper. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess.
5. In the same pan as the onions, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add each piece of chicken skin-side down and fry for a few minutes until golden brown; flip and cook for a few more minutes.
6. Transfer to a plate (if it's not fully cooked, that's okay - it will finish in the oven - the idea here is just getting it browned on the outside).
7. Turn the heat down and let the oil cool off a little bit. Add the wine - this will definitely bubble and sizzle!
8. Add the broth and simmer until the mixture is thickened slightly.
9. Add the onions and chicken to the pan (skin side up) and bake for 20 minutes.
10. Add the grapes, baste with the sauce, and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
11. Remove from the oven, top with parsley, and serve.

Serving Suggestions:

• Serve with a green salad, bread, quinoa, rice, etc.
• Give chicken an extra "something" with an olive oil-balsamic dressing. To make: 2 parts olive oil, 1 part balsamic vinegar, 1 little spoonful Dijon mustard.
• Perfect Pairing: the dry red wine you used in cooking!

Recipe from Pinch Of Yum

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